September/October 2019
THIS ISSUE
Alvernia’s Football Team
PLEX News
Alvernia’s DPT Program: On The Grow Sidney Goodman Managing Editor The construction of the PLEX has provided a variety of resources for the Alvernia community that range from improved recreational space to an enhanced academic environment. Among the programs that are making good use of increased space and equipment is the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The DPT program, which graduated its first class in 2018, is a rigorous postgraduate doctoral program three years in length. The mission of the program is to prepare the next generation of autonomous physical therapists by challenging students to think critically, act professionally, and serve
altruistically. There are two paths for pursuing admission into the DPT program. The first and more traditional route is referred to as the “4 + 3 track” Most of the students in the program now have taken this path. Upon completion of their bachelor’s degree in a related major, students may apply for entrance into the program. Although a specific major is not required, students must demonstrate academic success in specific prerequisite courses. Regardless of the path, a strong science foundation is important to ensure success within the program. The second path is referred to as the “3 + 3 track” Within this path, a
student who has achieved the required high school GPA and SAT scores enters Alvernia in the path that may lead toward entrance into the DPT program. Upon entrance to the university, the student will pursue one of four majors: Healthcare Science,
Biology, Biochemistry, or Psychology. In their junior year, a student may apply to enter the DPT program, therefore allowing them to enter the program in their senior year. To enter the program in their senior year, prospective
Photo Courtesy of tbe DPT Program
what’s in
Volume 58 Issue 4
L-R: Sarah Froehlich and Alexandra Worek work on higher level balance and gait with a client with Parkinson’s.
Photo Courtesy of the DPT Program
Life on Campus
Gun Theft in Oley
L-R: Ashley Duvall and Gavin High (DPT II) pratice their PNF skills for scapular stabilization.
student must have a 3.5 overall and science GPA, as well as a 3.0 in their prerequisite courses. As DPT students progress in their studies, their program provides many opportunities for real-world learning and clinical practice. The DPT program’s space in the PLEX includes two teaching labs, classrooms, faculty offices, and access to the virtual dissection lab and the interprofessional movement analysis lab. “The primary feature of the program is preparing students for clinical practice by connecting the classroom to the clinic,” Dr. Wise said. Clinical practice courses, where students engage in patient care, occur early and frequently throughout the program and the program culminates in two back-toback 12-week internships. DPT students are wellprepared for their career , as they spend 36 weeks in fulltime clinical practice learning alongside physical therapists in providing patient care. By the conclusion of the program, students will have attained the entrylevel knowledge and the skills needed to enter the profession. In the last two graduating classes, all students who
actively sought employment after graduation found a job within six months. The National Physical Therapy Exam, or NPTE, passage rate for the Class of 2019 was 96.6% and employment rate is at 100% for those who sought employment within 6 months following graduation. These numbers speak to the success of the program. The program received initial accreditation in May of 2018, meaning that all students are graduates of an accredited program and may take the national boards. The program submitted a compliance report in September to address four criteria related to its probationary status and will hear the results in November. The program faculty and students are pleased with the new space and all of the educational opportunities that it provides. Through community engagement, interprofessional learning, and innovative research, the program continues to pursue its mission of preparing the next generation of autonomous physical therapists by challenging students to think critically, act professionally, and serve altruistically.